Looking for a fail-safe vegan nut braid recipe that always delivers a fluffy, delectable cake? Look no further! Traditionally served during Easter in many cultures like Germany and Romania, this delightful babka is perfect for any occasion, treating both you and your guests to a deliciously satisfying treat.
For the dough, warm up the soy milk slightly (lukewarm!). Crumble the yeast into the milk and dissolve it with a whisk.
Mix the flour with the sugar and the salt in a mixing bowl and form a hole in the middle.
Pour the yeast milk and oil into this hole and stir carefully. Knead properly, with a dough hook or by hand. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. If it is too dry, add very little soy milk.
Cover the dough with a clean, slightly damp dish towel and let it rest for 1 hour in a warm place (approx. 35 ° C / 95 °F). (I heat my oven a little, then put the dough in the oven and switch the oven off).
For the filling, mix the nuts in a bowl with the sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon, and soy milk.
Grease a 35 cm / 14-inch rectangular loaf pan (e.g., with rapeseed oil) and flour.
Place the dough on a lightly floured working surface and roll it out into a rectangle (1-2cm / 0.4-0.8 inches high). Spread the filling on the dough and leave about 2 cm/0.8 inches space at the top. Roll up the dough from the long side.
Cut the roll lengthways and wrap the two strands around each other several times.
If the roll is too long for the baking pan, cut it in half and then wrap the two already braided parts of the dough around each other again.
Place the nut braid in the prepared baking pan, cover with a towel and let it rest until the oven is preheated.
Preheat the oven to 180 ° C/350 °F top/bottom heat.
Once the oven is fully heated, put the nut braid in the oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes until the surface is golden brown. Check the braid at the end of the baking time to make sure it doesn’t get too dark!
Let the nut braid cool completely on a wire rack.
For the frosting, mix the powdered sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Then add some water or soymilk in teaspoons (just a little at a time) until you get a thick, viscous frosting. You don’t want the frosting to be too runny. Pour the frosting over the finished nut braid with a spoon and let it dry.Enjoy.